


Revival

by fullmetalscully



Series: Royai Week 2019 [6]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Death Threats, Ex husband, F/M, Hostage Situations, Kidnapping, Married Couple, Modern Era, References to Depression, Royai - Freeform, ex wife
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-15
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2020-05-07 08:24:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19205599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fullmetalscully/pseuds/fullmetalscully
Summary: Royai Week Day 6: RevivalThree years ago one of the bosses from the Sins Cartel took Riza Mustang and her son hostage because they sought out the power of flame alchemy in order to win the Cartel War against Drachma. Riza offered herself up in order to protect Roy, but Maes was dragged into the mess too as insurance and now the two must comply with Gluttony's wishes in order to stay alive. Meanwhile, Roy is recruited by the military to help them find and bring his wife and son home.





	Revival

**Author's Note:**

> ok so i had no idea what to do for this fic then an idea hit me and boom it was about four hours and 7.5k words later
> 
> i really really like this one and i hope you do too!

A lone figure hauled a rowing boat out of the water and beached it on the soft sand. There was no need for an anchor. The water of the lake was never rough enough to drag it away from its usual resting place anyway. Both oars were placed inside the boat, the wood clunking heavily down on the bottom, one catching on the wooden seat. There was a hint of water splashing and the figure closed his eyes briefly, sighing in acceptance.

"Time to get a new boat," he muttered to himself.

Leaving the hole in his boat, the man decided it was a problem for another day. He should fix it now. It would give him something to distract himself with. An anniversary was coming up and no matter how hard he tried not to think about it, the man couldn’t keep it at bay. Even the skin on his abdomen tingled painfully as a reminder.

Blocking the flash out of his head like his therapist told him to, Roy Mustang set off towards his home with determination. If he walked fast enough, purposefully enough, then the memory wouldn't return to him right now.

He didn't need that kind of pain today. It had started out too well for it to turn to shit now. He’d woken up feeling rather rested. No nightmare had plagued him through the night, which was a nice change. The sun was warm and kissed his skin, inviting him outside where he’d taken his rowboat out onto the lake just after dawn to catch some fish for his lunch and his dinner tomorrow night.

Roy’s little pocket of the world was a quiet one. No one really visited him, and he kept to himself in the woods in the west of Amestris. He was comfortably in the middle between the border of Drachma and the border of Creta. His summers were warm, and his winters were cold. It was the perfect balance.

However, it missed two things he held dear to his heart, but there was nothing he could do about that now. He missed the laughter, the joy, the love -

No. Stop.

He'd made his bed, now he had to lie in it.

Sitting heavily on the porch, Roy busied himself with gutting the fish he'd caught that morning. The wood circled from the front of the house to around the side, giving him a clear view of the lake, it's shores only five feet from his house. The cabin was rustic, but it was home. His stomach tightened at the thought that there should be two more people here with him.

Roy had tried to make the cabin as cosy as he could by himself. The decor was recommended by a late friend's wife, which Roy took on board because she always knew what she was talking about. Gracia Hughes' hobby was interior decorating. If anyone knew how to decorate his home, it would be her.

His therapist suggested leaving out personal mementos in the decor – pictures of friends and family, that sort of thing - only for a short time while he adjusted to his knew life as a bachelor.

But he couldn't.

On his nightstand stood a picture of his wife - now ex-wife - Roy, and their son. They'd been so happy... All over the living area were pictures of their family throughout the peaceful nine years they'd had together.

Then it all changed.

Three years had passed since then and it still didn't get any easier.

He hadn't seen them both in three years.

Realising he was cutting into the fish with more force than necessary, Roy paused in his actions.

He missed Riza. He missed Maes.

Roy closed his eyes, bringing the back of his fish guts covered hand to his mouth to try and stifle his tears. He hadn't spoken to either of them in those three years. His emails went unanswered. His calls reached no one - the number was no longer in use.

It was only partly his fault, however, Roy being Roy, blamed it all on himself. He hadn’t been good enough, strong enough, prepared enough, and because of that, he and his family had suffered.

The anniversary of that day was in two days, solidifying another year without them – three years in total.

Removing his hand from his mouth, Roy shook his head, his black hair ruffling as he did so. It was getting too long, and he needed to cut it, but he didn’t care. The shake turned to a shudder as it ran down his body. The emotion shifted with it, but he still felt as miserable as he did three years ago. No doubt he looked it too. His dark eyes probably looked bruised with lack of sleep. He was thinning, much to the concern of Gracia. She often made him dinners and dropped them off, but it was difficult when she had a three-year-old to look after too. Roy had self-exiled himself out here in the middle of nowhere, so it was no wonder he rarely saw her nowadays.

He should at least call her to say hello. Basically, to let her know that yes, he was still alive.

The sound of tires on gravel in the distance drew his attention away from the fish. Had he just summoned Gracia here by mere thought alone? She was the only person who’d visited him.

A black sedan pulled up and parked outside his home. Roy remained still, watching it carefully - reminiscent of a lion eyeing up an intruder on its territory, weighing up the threat it presented.

"Roy Mustang?" a man asked. He was blonde, his hair short on the back and sides, but with a tuft sticking up at the front. Black sunglasses covered his eyes but they no doubt matched his expressionless face.

Another government official.

Roy had enough of them to last a lifetime.

"What's this?" he asked gruffly, going back to his fish. He wasn't in the mood for visitors.

He never was.

"Sir, could we have a moment -"

"No."

"Sir," the man admonished. A hint of frustration creeped through in his sigh and Roy smirked, amused. The robot can feel after all. "This concerns your wife and child."

Roy froze. No one moved. No one said anything. They were all waiting for him to react, to say something, but Roy had nothing to give them.

Riza wanted nothing to do with him anymore, that much was made clear.

His mind told them to back off, to tell them he wasn't interested, but he couldn't. He needed to...

"Perhaps it would be best - for you, Roy - if you never saw them again." His first therapist's voice rang in his ears. There was a reason he got a second one. The poor guy's nose was broken after that punch.

But that attitude and those actions had gotten him in this situation in the first place. He’d exploded, letting his emotions take control when he should have kept his cool. That was always Riza’s speciality, not his. She kept him sane, kept him grounded.

Well, not anymore.

She no longer wanted a part in that.

"What about them?" he barked. It wouldn't hurt to enquire... Would it? Even just to get a sliver of information, a sliver of a connection to them both. Their last meeting hadn’t ended on the best of terms then Roy had secluded himself out here to deal with his grief.

He didn’t blame Riza from taking Maes with her. Roy was volatile. He might hurt them both and that was the last thing he wanted. So no, he didn’t blame Riza from taking Maes away from him. Roy was the failure here. It was what he deserved.

But the way she left…

"Sir, can you come -?"

"What about them?" he repeated, not giving the man a chance to complete his sentence. His words were forceful, charged with anger. He felt it spike inside him, feeling a familiar burn begin to numb the edges of his mind. Why were these guys always so intent on beating around the bush? Just tell him what he wanted to know, dammit!

He saw the ginger haired man behind the blonde twitch, his fingers creeping closer to his holster.

Roy felt himself sag under the weight of the last three years.

_Get it together._

Yeah, that anger had gotten him into this mess in the first place.

"Sorry," he apologised, voice quieter. Beaten down. "I... Sorry. Please, just tell me."

"Sir, they've been taken hostage and we need your help to bring them back."

* * *

Riza Mustang walked forward, exacting perfect control of her emotions. She resisted the urge to punch the man in the nose who shoved her son forward when he didn't move fast enough. She resisted the urge to shoot the other right in between the eyes when he threatened her son's life with his gun.

Control. It was all about control. It always had been with her.

"Through here," the man leading them motioned with his gun. Riza gripped Maes' hand tighter, drawing on strength from him. He was scared, and rightly so. Riza was too, but scared of the unknown, not so much of the people. She'd dealt with them for years and knew how to handle the boss. She was valuable to them, so they wouldn't kill her. Riza had made it clear from day one - since they'd had the bright idea to try and use Maes as leverage against her - that if they hurt him in any way she was out. The boss agreed, but his sickening smile that came along with the promise made her skin crawl and gave her nightmares of what they might do once she was no longer useful.

Yes, what was terrifying was not knowing what their future held. Riza just took it one day at a time. Protecting Maes was her one and only priority right now so she focussed all her effort on that task.

And... Protecting Roy.

"Miss Riza," a smooth voice purred from the dim room. She suppressed a shudder - a daily occurrence at this point - and faced him head on. The voice should have sounded pleasant to her ears given the quality of it, but it made her want to vomit.

It was nothing like _his_ voice.

"How nice of you to drop by."

"I wouldn't exactly call this a drop-in," she replied coldly. Maes tensed next to her, the grip on her hand tightening. She gave it a quick squeeze back to reassure him that it was going to be okay.

God, she fucking hated having to include him in all of this.

The boss laughed loudly. The men around them shifted in place, not pleased with her tone or comment.

"Very true," he boomed, that grin back on his face. Cigar smoke coiled around his face. Only his mouth was visible in the lighting and through the smoke. Those yellow teeth glared back at her just like his yellowing eyes did when they were on view. "Put those guns down," he barked, tone completely different from the one he used to speak to Riza. "This is not a prison camp." _Yes, it is_ , she wanted to mutter. "Show our guests a little more hospitality.'

The guns rose and the soldiers relaxed their grips and stances but didn't look very happy about it.

"Now," the boss stated conversationally, straightening his back. He was no longer leaning forward eagerly, his unseen eyes boring into Riza's. "To business. Where are you on the Henders contract?"

Riza grit her teeth. "Almost done," she managed to spit out. "My team is putting the final touches to it as we speak."

"Excellent," he purred, leaning back, placing his hands over his swollen stomach. "We're on schedule?"

 _Unfortunately._ "Yes."

He hummed his appreciation. The boss stood and out the corner of her eye, Riza noticed Maes stiffen. The large man walked forward. For his size, he was surprisingly agile as he moved. His stomach protruded forward, his round face holding those yellow teeth and eyes that haunted her dreams. He lifted a large hand and removed his cigar, exhaling the smoke in one go, head angled away from Riza and Maes as he stared down at them. The latter gripped his mother's hand tighter in his fear while the former stood her ground, unwavering as he approached.

"Let me know personally when you've completed it."

"Of course, Gluttony."

He grinned, yellow teeth on show for all in the room to see. "Excellent."

As soon as they were out the room the guns lifted once more. Guns she developed. Did it make her sick? Yes. Did she regret it? Yes. But it was either that, or they got their hands on something so much worse.

Maes was still stiff as he walked and didn't relax until they were back in their own rooms in the bunker. He exhaled in a rush shoulders slumping forwards just two seconds after the door clanged shut loudly behind them. Riza was around his front, hands on his shoulders as she searched his face.

"Maes, are you okay?"

"Yeah," he whispered. Riza's heart broke at the sight of him. Three years ago, he was full of joy and laughter. Now, he was quiet and reserved. He was still that same boy in rare moments, when they found their peace in this room, but he'd been forced to grow up too quickly. That was on Riza, and she would feel eternally guilty for it.

He was strong. The twelve-year-old didn't let too much of this phase him, but he did _not_ like Gluttony. The man gave him the creeps big time, and Riza agreed wholeheartedly with him. He was intimidating, his presence a constant threat to them both, and unpredictable. Riza had witnessed him kill a man just because he passed on news that didn’t please him. Maes had also been present for that event. She'd raged at Gluttony, causing the man to break his cool with her. He'd grabbed her by the throat, lifting her off the floor while Maes, restrained by his men, shouted and begged him to stop. After spitting a warning in her face about remembering her place, he threw her to the ground, and they were both dragged out of Gluttony's sight.

He'd bee remorseful the next time they met. Riza had her bruises on full show, head high and defiant. Riza learned that day that Gluttony was like an abusive lover - wrong him and he'll give you hell, only to come grovelling back saying they didn't mean it, they were sorry, blah, blah, blah. She kept her mouth shut from then on but couldn't help the odd remark slipping through in her anger. She'd never angered him like that since - for whatever reason the man liked her (something about her fighting spirit) - so hadn't lifted a finger. But the threat was still there. It always was.

"Here, sit down." She ushered Maes onto his cot. "Take a sip of water." Maes shook his head and Riza's hand fell slowly, suddenly feeling very helpless.

She felt like a failure as a mother. Not only had she ripped the boy from his father, she'd dragged him into this mess. He should be playing with his friends, climbing trees, blushing over girls, not hidden deep underground in the Drachman mountains and living in a constant state of fear.

"I'm sorry, Maes," she mumbled. "I didn't want to take you there, but he –"

"It's okay, Mum," he reassured her with a smile. "It's not your fault." Bless him, he stated daily that he didn't blame her for any of this, but Riza didn't quite believe him. How could he not blame her, resent her?

_It is my fault._

"I miss Dad," Maes whispered into the silence.

Riza froze, heart constricting painfully. "I know you do, sweetheart. I miss him too," she managed to get out.

"He'd burn this place to the ground along with everyone in it, no problem." It hurt to hear her son speak of such things. He was only twelve. Maes scoffed. "He'd kill Gluttony after what he did to you."

Riza swallowed. There was no doubt in her mind that Roy would, but that wasn't what she wanted. If he came here and was caught by these people...

It wouldn't be good.

“I know I wanted to,” Maes added, voice a whisper.

Riza was almost sick.

That had been her bargain with Gluttony. They'd originally been searching for “The Flame”, a man who could create flames in the palms of his hands. Roy. Gluttony and his group – a splinter faction of the Sins Cartel that smuggled weapons from Amestris and into Drachma – would have a field day with Roy and his abilities, causing destruction and terror in their wake, because that’s what they did.

They were terrorists.

They'd attacked their home and knocked Roy out. After recovering, seeing his wife and child being held at gunpoint, he'd exploded. Quite literally.

Flames erupted from his body, incinerating the men holding his wife and child, freeing them from their hold. Riza had tried to run to his side, to help him, but was stopped by restraining hands and the heat of his flames. The attack had left Roy spent, fading in and out of consciousness.

His abilities were like an old practice called alchemy. It had been rampant in Amestris for centuries and it had evolved, just like everything did. The transmutation wasn’t limited just to the hands. The whole body could be involved in the process, if taught the right way. Her father – the lead researcher on this technique – had taught Roy about alchemy and introduced him to the concept of using his whole body to perform the transmutation. Roy’s flame alchemy could be produced from a snap of his fingers, or he could conjure a ball of flame into the palm of his hands. His body could emit heat – an ability Riza had loved because she was always cold – and eventually emit fire if the alchemist wished it.

The training had been terrifying, causing Roy nothing but pain and suffering which Riza had been intimately aware of, but he’d managed it. He’d mastered the flames at the age of twenty-two after six years of studying and could wield it effortlessly. Over time, his energy sapped, but it was worth it, he’d told her with a grin.

But, in the moment he erupted like a volcano, heat blasting everyone backwards as he eviscerated the enemy, Riza had grabbed Maes and shielded him from the flames. Her back was wrought with pain, her skin prickling as the heat nipped at it. Her flesh burned and she cried out.

“ _In an event where the alchemist loses control of their emotions, the alchemy can become volatile_ ,” her father had told her. “ _So, if he loses control, gets really angry, he could emit the flames with no control, burning everything in his path_.”

The scars on her back were a reminder of that.

After her father told him that, Riza vowed she would watch his back and protect him.

No wonder the cartel was looking for a weapon like him.

That’s why Gluttony had appeared.

Almost instantly Riza could feel the evil emanating from the large man. It was like a dark cloud, shrouding his entire being, diming the light around him. She’d stopped, reigning in her rage and fury because every single one of her instincts were telling her not to go against this man.

When Gluttony had told his men to bag Roy, Riza stepped in, offering up her life in order to protect Roy's. If they got their hands on him and forced him to do things… Things that would go against everything he stood for… It would break him.

Riza had heard of Gluttony and his group before and knew what their goal was. In her line of work – weapon development and manufacture – their reputation proceeded them, however it was because they’d killed so many of her colleagues and partners over the years.

They’d killed to acquire more and more firearms, and their end goal now was apparently to recruit Roy. Well, “recruit”. More like force him to do their dirty work for him. Not only that, if she and Maes were used as leverage, he would spiral even further down a path that they couldn't follow, because Riza knew he would do absolutely anything to keep them safe, even if it meant sacrificing his life and his sanity.

So, Riza willingly went with Gluttony in order to secure her husband's freedom. Roy had protested, then Riza had done the hardest thing she'd ever done in her life. She spoke a few words that saved her husband but destroyed everything they'd built throughout the course of their entire life.

She’d lied.

" _He's useless. I've been keeping tabs on him for years and there's no control to it. He can't conjure it properly. It's my father's work, I can help you_."

" _Are you willing to wreak havoc on this world, Miss Riza_?" Gluttony had purred.

" _Yes_ ," she’d replied in a heartbeat, only because the men were beginning to close in on Roy. " _He means nothing to me. Let me help you instead, I can do so much more. I helped my father with the experiments and Berthold passed the knowledge down to me, not him. He was just a puppet in the grand scheme of things_."

“ _Riza_.” Roy's broken whisper, calling her name as she hurt him so badly, broke her in two. She kept her back to him, not looking back. If she did, she'd break and Gluttony was already studying her oh so carefully, looking for a crack in her façade. Riza always had been the better one at hiding her emotions. Roy was so open and wore his heart on his sleeve. He felt his emotions in a way Riza had always envied. On the other hand, she kept it hidden away, but showing how she felt when it mattered most.

Control.

" _Take the boy too_ ," Gluttony had ordered, seemingly satisfied that she was telling the truth. " _Any funny business_ ," Gluttony threatened, waggling his massive finger between her and Maes. " _He dies_."

Roy protested, only to be knocked unconscious. Maes screamed for his father, clawed at the man holding him, his forearm around his neck. Riza saw red.

“ _Let him go,_ ” she ordered, voice low and dangerous. It was bad enough they hurt her son, but to hurt Roy, to kick him while he was down too… She wouldn’t let that happen. “ _Do it_ ,” she barked, noticing their hesitation and Gluttony’s watchful yellow eyes on her. “ _Or I won’t come_.”

Gluttony had shrugged. “ _Then we’ll kill the boy_.”

“ _No, you fucking_ won’t _. My husband will burn you until there’s nothing left if you do_.”

“ _Fine, then the husband_.”

“ _You_ dare _touch him, and I will kill you and every one of your men where they stand_.”

“ _Fine_.” Gluttony agreed. “ _Do it_.”

Maes was dragged to Gluttony’s side while the men started a shootout with Riza. True to her word, she killed them all, coming to a stop by levelling the gun in Gluttony’s face. He smirked, dragging Maes in front of him, putting him in the line for fire.

“ _I’m impressed, Miss Riza,_ ” he crooned. “ _But what a shame, giving such a show of your skills in front of your son_.”

Sure enough, Maes was looking at her in horror. Her son, her baby boy, at only nine-years-old had just witnessed her killing about ten men without another thought.

“ _I thought that man meant nothing to you. You went through an awful lot of trouble just to keep him alive_.”

“ _He’s a valuable subject. Useless, but valuable, should we need him._ ”

She ignored the way Maes was looking at her so betrayed. She had wanted to fall to her knees and beg her son’s forgiveness and explain that everything was a lie, and this was the hardest things she had ever done in her life. It was literally tearing her heart in two. The burn in her chest was agony.

“ _But… If we have you…_ ” Gluttony ventured, that sick grin spreading across his face.

“ _You won’t need him,_ ” she finished.

Gluttony chuckled, shoving Maes at her. Riza clutched him desperately, relieved to find Maes did the same.

“ _Let’s go,_ ” he ordered.

According to Roy, she'd left willingly, taking their son from him, in order to side with these people. She’d betrayed them. That's what he'd probably been able to piece together from what he heard. It couldn't be farther from the truth, but she couldn't contact him and let him know. If she did, Gluttony would find his location.

That couldn’t happen.

Maes had sobbed, kicking and screaming as they left his father unconscious on the ground. Riza looked back – a mistake – and felt her knees give way. She clutched Maes to her body as Gluttony turned, hiding her own tears, using comforting her son as an excuse as to why she’d crumpled on the spot.

The image of Roy lying unresponsive and face down on the ground would now haunt her for the rest of her days.

She’d left her husband behind after lying, siding with the enemy, and saying he meant nothing to her. It couldn’t have been further from the truth. Roy and Maes Mustang were her whole world. She was nothing without them.

The worst part? To this day, she wasn’t sure if he was even still alive.

“ _Get up, boy_ ,” Gluttony had ordered. Riza felt a spike of rage as Maes screamed at him that he wouldn’t. He _wouldn’t_ go with a monster like him.

“ _Give us a minute, please_ ,” she snarled.

She didn’t care that he saw her tears.

Gluttony scoffed and walked away, leaving them in a heap as Riza clung to her boy, restraining him so he couldn’t run to his father.

She’d felt like the worst human being in the planet.

* * *

“This has been a hostage situation from day one, three years ago,” the blonde – Captain Jean Havoc – explained, gaze sweeping the room. “Mrs. Mustang went willingly with the cartel boss, however her son was threatened so she had no other choice.”

“Where are they?” Roy forced out impatiently. He had no time for games. This was his family they were talking about.

“Drachman Mountains,” Havoc informed Roy. “Located here.” He pointed to a smudge on the map.

“Well then why haven’t you just gone after them yet?” Why drag him all the way out there to North City just to give him a slideshow on where Riza and Maes were? What a waste of his time.

“Security is tight. There’s no way in without using force. And, they’ve clearly implied that if anyone does attempt it, he’ll kill them both.”

“He?” Roy echoed.

“The boss, the head of this branch of the Sins Cartel. Gluttony.” The television changed and a picture of an enormous man appeared.

Roy was out of his chair, striding over to the screen in an instant.

“Mr. Mustang?” the head of the operation called to him. General Walter Grumman didn’t seem to approve of his actions, but Roy didn’t care.

This was the man who’d taken his kid. Riza had gone willingly, dragging Maes along with her. Although he’d been unable to control the fire, he still felt an ache that she’d taken Maes away from him. He didn’t blame Riza, but first, her siding with the enemy and then taking their son away with her, exposing him to this world…

“Mustang, I need you to calm down,” Havoc stated slowly. His voice was slow and even. Turning to his left, he saw Havoc with one hand on his holster, the other raised in front of him like someone trying to calm a predator. To his right, the ginger man who’d also brought him here, Heymans Breda, mimicked Havoc’s stance.

Roy blinked, suddenly feeling the heat in the room.

He heard a crackle, noting how below his line of sight there was an orange glow. Lifting his hands, he saw the fire, two flames burning happily in the palm of his hands.

_This is what happens when you lose control. No wonder Riza took Maes away from you. You can’t even control yourself._

Roy sagged, the flames flicking out in an instant. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled.

“It’s all right,” Grumman replied, placing a comforting hand on Roy’s shoulder. That wasn’t the reaction he expected – maybe fear and horror, but not acceptance – so he blinked in surprise at the General. “That’s enough for just now,” he announced to the room. “Let’s take fifteen minutes and reconvene back here.” There was a murmur of agreement as men and woman stood from their chairs, stretching off and yawning. “Come with me,” Grumman beckoned, leading Roy out the meeting room and into the hallway.

They entered an empty room about fifty feet from the one they’d just vacated. It was smaller and held none of the high-tech equipment that resided in the meeting room. It was old, like what the bunker would have looked like in the eighties before technology came along and the government discovered another colour other than grey.

“Sorry to spring this all on you. I realise we should have given you a debrief beforehand.”

“No, it’s fine, I –”

“Roy, it’s okay. I’m just as angry as you are, believe me. It’s not unwarranted.”

He wasn’t there. He didn’t hear what Riza had said.

“ _He means nothing to me_.”

His anger wasn’t just directed towards Gluttony, but a little towards Riza too. Had their whole marriage been a lie? A sham? He’d grown up with her his whole life, eventually marrying his childhood sweetheart. Had that all been a lie too?

Roy was hurt beyond belief when Riza turned her back on him.

“We will find them. I promise. We’ll bring them home.”

Roy nodded numbly. His head pounded. He didn’t know what to think.

Grumman left him shortly afterwards, giving him some time to process his thoughts.

Instead of focussing on hoe he wasn’t sure what he felt, Roy focussed on what he _did_ know.

One, his wife left him. She’d sided with this Gluttony man, turning herself over to the enemy. She’d taken their son with her, but only because that bastard wanted to use Maes against her. As soon as Roy had heard that command, he saw red. He wanted to burn that bastard to ash after seeing through fazed vision how he handled his boy, the way he spoke to Riza. Despite her words he’d still felt drawn to fight for her.

“ _He means nothing to me._ ”

No matter how hard he tried, Roy couldn’t shake that thought from his head. However, he knew in his heart that she was lying. She had to be. Roy didn’t want to imagine it was the truth. He couldn’t.

Two, he’d lost control of his flames. It felt like his whole body erupted in heat and fire. He’d never felt anything like that before, even in his training. He’d blacked out almost instantly, exhausted by his abilities. Berthold had warned him that would happen. Because the alchemy could overtake his entire body it strained it immensely to complete even one transmutation. But he’d protected them, that was what mattered. That’s what it was for, protecting his family.

If only he’d been stronger to protect them to the end and prevent them from being taken.

Three, Riza had said he mean anything to her anymore. He still didn’t know if that was a lie or not, however he did know they’d been happy. During their time together, Roy had been the happiest he’d ever been in his life. When Maes was born twelve years ago it brightened their lives even more. He remembered Riza’s joy, her tears of happiness… That couldn’t be faked. Roy knew that for sure. She loved him… Or had done, at some point.

Before he could continue down that spiral of despair, a memory came to him. They’d been lying in bed, speaking about working towards the greater good. Words niggled in his head… Something important to what he was thinking right now…

“ _I know I would sacrifice myself to protect you too. Without hesitation_.”

“Mustang?” Grumman called softly after knocking on the door. “Time to go.”

Rubbing his tired face with his hands, Roy stood and exited the room, keeping a tight lid of everything in his mind. He felt a little surer of himself, but that could all be dealt with later. Control, that was what he needed. If he wanted to get through this meeting without setting himself – unintentionally – on fire, then that was essential.

* * *

“Maes!” Riza shouted. Something _ping_ ed off the metal cabinet next to her head and she instinctively ducked. Panic drove her forward as she desperately tried to find her son. “Maes!” she screamed again, her terror overwhelming her. Riza’s breaths were coming fast and short, her body struggling to keep up with what she so desperately wanted it to do.

Run and find her son.

The gunfire stopped her short, the fear of losing her boy in this fight freezing her on the spot.

“Mum?!”

She gasped, surging upwards. Her head whipped back and forth, searching for Maes. Gunshots still sounded around her but that didn’t matter anymore. Not when she’d finally gotten a response after ten minutes of searching.

“Maes!”

“Mum!”

The terror in his voice broke her heart and when she finally saw him, hands clamped over his ears to try and block out the sound of gunfire. Another bullet popped off as she reached him, causing her to duck again and Maes squeeze his eyes shut tightly. Riza covered his body with his, hugging him tightly to her chest.

“It’s all right, baby,” she reassured him. “I’ve got you.”

She searched for a way out of their situation. The door to her right was open. Flashes of gunfire popped from behind it. There was another door across the room, leading to a hallway which would take them back to their quarters and out the line of fire.

“Maes, we need to move.” He stiffened but nodded. As Riza removed her arms from around his shoulders, Maes clamped onto her hand, holding it in a death grip. Riza couldn’t extract it even if she wanted to, but that was all right by her. Again, she drew on the strength Maes gave her. More than anything, she needed to protect him and get them to safety.

All was going well as they fled, but a hand on Riza’s shoulder had her spinning in place. Maes was jerked in her grip and he cried out, however it was silenced as a man put his hand over Maes’ mouth, silencing him. Riza instantly began to struggle, gearing up to snarl at the man to _get off her son_ , but was stopped short by a hand over her own mouth.

Still, she fought it.

“Calm yourself, Miss Riza,” Gluttony purred in her ear. “Change of plans, you’re coming with us. We have to greet our guests after all.”

Her eyes widened as she was forced to walk. Why? Why were they going _towards_ the gunfire? Maes needed to get away from them, whoever they were.

She was shoved into the hanger which led to the outside. Riza had been through here a few times, leaving to go on a mission to retrieve weapon parts. The large doors towered high even at the opposite end of the room – one hundred metres away. There was a hole in the metal, the edges jagged and smouldering with embers. It had been blasted clean through. Jeeps continued to pour in from the outside, bringing the cold northern breeze with it. Riza shivered as it reached her even at this distance. Glancing to her right, she saw Maes still being restrained by one of Gluttony’s men and it made her blood boil in anger.

She struggled again, her speech muffled behind Gluttony’s disgusting hand. Irritated, he finally removed it to quieten her.

“Miss Riza,” he stressed. “I think it would be wise if you remained silent. We all know what happens when you put your foot in it,” he threatened, calling back to the time she’d been attacked by the man for simply because she protested against her son witnessing a murder.

“This isn’t his fight,” she snarled, jerking her arms against Gluttony’s hold. He pulled tightly backwards. The action was agony on her shoulder joints. Riza gasped in pain. “Let him go!”

“This was his fight when _you_ decided to drag him into it,” Gluttony hissed.

“Bastard,” she spat. She did no such thing. _He’d_ threatened to kill Maes and had brought him along as insurance so she would do as she was told.

Gluttony chuckled. “That may be true, my dear, but let’s not forget your part in all of this too.”

Anger mixed with dread in her stomach as he spoke. She knew it was because his words rang with truth. She’d left her husband for dead on the side of the road. She didn’t even know if he was still alive at this point. He had to be. Riza would _know_ if he was dead. She was sure of it.

“That’s far enough Gluttony!” someone shouted from the opposition. Her captor shoved her forwards harshly and she stumbled, falling to her knees.

“Mum!” Maes shouted from her side, reaching to grab her tightly and help her up. Riza wrapped her arms around him, relieved that he was okay. She pulled them both off to the left and out the line of fire, but Gluttony’s men appeared from nowhere and blocked her path.

She was stuck.

“Gluttony. Step forward.”

He chuckled in response. “With a welcome party like that? I don’t think so.”

“Let the woman and boy go –”

“I don’t think so either,” he replied. Gluttony grabbed Riza by her upper arm, thrusting her forward in front of him. Of course, she clutched Maes tight to her body, trying to shield him from everything that was happening in front of them. He didn’t need to see these soldiers pointing a gun at him or his mother. Her mind ran a mile a minute, stumbling over itself, as she tried to think of a way to get Maes out of here and out of danger. “I know how important they are. Especially to _you_.”

“Let them go, or we will use force.”

Gluttony grinned. His smile reminiscent of a shark. “Go on then,” Gluttony urged, voice booming across to the soldiers. They shifted their stances, levelling their weapons more securely at their enemy. “Shoot me.”

“ _Stop!_ ” a voice echoed in the large room. The soldiers paused but their weapons remained trained on them. There was an uncertainty between their ranks, obviously startled by the sudden cry.

But Riza wasn’t uncertain. No, she was _deadly_ certain that she knew that voice. She’d recognise it anywhere. It was the voice she’d longed to hear for the last three years.

From within the crowd, her husband pushed forward and simply stared both in shock and disbelief.

He…

He was alive.

He was _alive_.

“Dad?” Maes whispered. He spun in her arms which was easy enough because Riza was too dumbstruck to keep her hold on him. “Dad –!”

“Get back here, _boy_ ,” Gluttony ordered. He reached for Maes and Riza snapped out of her trance. She kicked his arm, throwing him off balance and she reached for her son, bundling him in her arms and taking off at a run. She gripped Maes’ hand tightly, pulling him away and towards their freedom.

The soldiers in front of them lifted their weapons and trained them on Riza. She gasped, stumbling as her heart rose in her throat. Pulling Maes against her body, she turned and shielded him from them, putting her body between Maes and the bullets.

But they never came.

Instead, there was an intense heat. Eyes popping open she saw a wall of flame cutting the two of them off from both sides.

There was only one person who would be able to do that.

A gap appeared in the flames and Roy walked through them.

He looked thin. There were dark bags under his eyes, and he looked like he’d aged ten years since she’d last seen him. There were streaks of grey in his hair which was dishevelled and untamed, a long way from the artfully rumpled look he’d created years ago. The biggest change she’d noticed was his eyes. They’d always been so full of life and laughter before she’d taken that away from him. Now they looked empty and in a constant state of sadness. They were hollow, a shell of the greatness they’d once been.

 _You did that to him_.

“Riza,” he breathed. It looked like he was seeing a ghost. Riza knew her expression imitated his because she’d just discovered that he was _alive_. All those years worrying and never really knowing…

She broke down.

“Roy,” she sobbed, bringing a hand to her mouth to try and stifle her tears. “You’re alive?”

He strode forward and at the same time, both threw their arms around each other. Riza sobbed against him, taking in the smell that was wholly _him_ – something she’d missed for the last three years.

“I’m alive,” he answered. “Maes,” he gasped, pulling away, his eyes finding his son’s. Maes was standing apart from them, watching the exchange with wet eyes. His tears were already falling down his face.

“Dad,” Maes whispered, voice breaking.

“Come here, son,” he commanded, opening his arms. Riza felt her heart break in two. She’d kept both of them apart. She’d willingly let them use Maes against her so she could supply their terrorist operation. Maes had witnessed things no child – no, no _person_ – should ever have to.

Riza had done that to them.

“Get her!” they heard Gluttony yell from behind them.

“Let’s go,” Roy ordered.

“Take Maes,” Riza urged, ushering her son back into his father’s arms. “Get him to safety.”

“You’re coming too,” Roy demanded, eyes frantic.

“Roy, they want me, not Maes. Take him and get him _out_ of here –”

“Not without you.” His reply was quiet. She barely heard him. But the tone… It was so broken that Riza was powerless to resist.

“Get Wrath on the line. Code Red,” Gluttony barked. “Get him here _now_!”

The gunfire started up again from behind them, but they were firing blindly into the flames. Luckily, the family were already away and out of sight, behind the opposition’s lines.

“Get them to the lift!” a blonde man shouted before turning to bark orders at his troops. Roy nodded and ushered Riza in front of him, a hand guiding the small of her back, letting her lead the way to their escape.

Behind them, after a few minutes of escaping, there was an explosion. The family stopped, frozen in place and at the implication of what that meant. Roy and Riza shared a look. That couldn’t have been good. Riza lunged for the edge of the catwalk, peering over as her eyes frantically searched for the damage that had been caused. The smoke was too thick. She couldn’t see a damn thing.

She could put a stop to this…

“Riza, let’s go,” Roy urged, clutching Maes’ hand tightly.

She could… She just needed to –

“ _Riza_ ,” Roy urged, voice desperate. Turning, she saw how terrified she looked. She’d just found him again – found out he was alive – and not she was considering leaving him behind again. That was what he feared, and there was a part of her that screamed at her not to. But… If she could put a stop to this…

Surely, she should try?

“Mum…”

“Let’s go,” she forced out, turning away from the railing.

Roy watched her walk past him but followed close behind.

During the infiltration, a lot of damage had been done to the facility. There were scorch marks on the ground, the metal was warped in places, and there were bodies on the floor. Roy pulled Maes against his body to shield him from view and their son didn’t struggle, didn’t fight against it.

The lift shaft was stuck at shoulder height. A light flashed on the display inside, signalling a warning of the blockage below it. Sure enough, there was a large piece of metal stopping it from descending even lower.

“Up you go,” Roy muttered to Maes, pushing their son up and into the lift. Another explosion sounded behind them, much closer, making them all cringe at the volume. Roy hopped up even quicker, turning and looking at Riza expectantly, holding out his hand to help her up.

Except her attention was elsewhere.

“Riza?” Roy called to her quietly. His voice barely carried over the sound of the battle beneath them, but it managed. He could always find his way through to her, after all.

She met his gaze, eyes shining with tears.

“Mum?” Maes whimpered. “Mum, please. Get in.” He was on his hands and knees, fingers gripping over the lip, his knuckles white.

“I love you,” she simply replied. Realisation dawned on Roy’s face as she spoke those words, her decision made. “ _Both_ of you,” she added, pointedly meeting Roy’s gaze.

She slapped the up button on the lift, causing the machinery to whir in response and the doors to close. It was an industrial lift, so there were just a grating and glass between them. It began to rise, taking her family to safety.

She’d both caused them so much pain, it was about time she did something to make up for that.

Riza turned around.

“Mum? Mum!” Maes shrieked behind her, beating on the glass. She gasped a sob at the sound and took off at a run, heading back down the catwalk towards the explosions still sounding.

“Riza!” Roy screamed and she stumbled but continued to forge ahead. She had to. If she didn’t, everyone here would die.

“ _Do you believe in working for the greater good?_ ” Roy had asked her in bed one night before Maes was born.

“ _That’s a strange question to ask_ ,” she’d chuckled, grasping his hand tightly. His grip on her waist had tightened, drawing her further back against his chest.

“ _Humour me_.”

Riza considered it. “ _Yes,_ ” she replied. “ _I think that we all have a part to play in making the world a better place_.”

“ _What if it meant sacrificing yourself?_ ”

“ _Roy?_ ” She’d turned in his embrace, concern written all over her face. “ _What’s this about?_ ”

“ _Nothing, really_ ,” he shrugged, not meeting her eyes and instead drawing a pattern with his index finger on her bare shoulder. “ _Just something I was watching the other day_.”

Riza pressed a hand to his cheek, realising exactly what he was talking about. Two days ago, he’d almost lost control of his alchemy. He’d almost burned her and had felt incredibly guilty about it ever since. He was afraid of hurting her again. She’d promised to watch his back though. What kind of best friend or wife would she be if she couldn’t talk her husband down?

“ _I’ll watch your back, I promise. I won’t let you lose control_.”

“ _But what if I do?_ ” The fear in his voice told her she’d been right on mark with her assumption.

“ _We’ll handle it. We always do_.”

“ _What if that isn’t good enough? What if I kill –_ ”

Riza cupped his jaw. “ _I won’t let that happen_.”

“ _What if_ ,” he whispered. “ _I had to sacrifice myself for you. Would you forgive me_?”

“ _Please don’t talk of such things_ ,” she begged, feeling her stomach tighten with dread.

“ _I… Please, I need to know._ ”

“ _It won’t ever happen… But yes, I would forgive you. Because I know I would sacrifice myself to protect you too. Without hesitation. That’s how much I love you._ ”

She walked back into the fight to protect her husband and her son. It was the right thing to do. It would save everyone here and it _had_ to be Riza that did it because she was the only one who knew how.

Their screams echoed after her, however they were muffled behind the barrier, lowering in volume as they rose higher, moving out of harm’s way.

Good.

They didn’t need to see this and Riza didn’t want them to see her like this.

Arriving in the hanger where they’d left the fight, Riza ignored the bodies littering the floor.

“Get your men out of here _now_ ,” she urged a blonde-haired shoulder. He didn’t need to be told twice. He scrambled over to an injured ginger-haired shoulder, grasping him under the arms and pulling him out of the way.

Gluttony staggered forwards out of the fire, face twisted in a snarl. The other man stood next to him – Riza remembered she’d heard Gluttony call for someone called Wrath – looking equally displeased. This must be him.

“You _bitch_ ,” Gluttony snarled. “You initiated all of this!”

“Did you not expect me to fight back after everything you’ve done to me? To my family?”

She’d hacked into the computer system – with help from Maes – and sent their location to an old friend of her. It had taken so long because in the first two years they’d both had a constant shadow and guard that followed them. Apparently, Riza had earned Gluttony’s trust, and this last year was spent learning the system and how to work it. Said “old friend” was high ranking in the military and would have the manpower and ability to infiltrate Gluttony’s lair.

“You came willingly,” he bit back.

“In order to protect my husband and my son!” Riza shouted. “You wanted to do nothing more than torture Roy. You used my son against both me and him. That’s unforgiveable to start with. Then you wanted to turn Roy against us, against himself, in order to do your dirty work.”

“Enough of this,” the newcomer – Wrath – spat. He whipped his sword out to the right, flourishing it and getting ready to strike. “Let’s end this.”

“Let’s,” Riza growled.

As the two monsters surged at her, they were stopped short, mouths hanging open in shock.

Riza felt the heat before she saw it. Her body begun to glow bright orange as the heat crept up the bare skin of her arms. It wasn’t uncomfortable, it was warm, like how she felt when lying in bed in Roy’s arms, or when she hugged Maes while he was beaming, so proud of himself for what he’d managed to accomplish.

The heat around her intensified. She knew because the two men took a step back, eyes still wide with surprise.

“Impossible…” Gluttony declared quietly.

“How…”

“My father designed this technique. I was trained. There’s more than one Flame Alchemist in this world.”

“You… You hid this from me?!”

Riza scoffed. Her flames pulsed, expelling heat and fire away from her body, but towards them. A warning. “Of course, I did. I had to protect my father’s legacy and my family.” She paused, the flames reaching their peak. She knew after this attack she would be spent. The building would collapse on top of her, leaving her buried under the rubble. Having this conversation would only give the rest of the soldiers and her family more time to escape.

A tear fell down her cheek as she thought she would never see them again.

 _And I just got Roy back_ …

“ _But yes, I would forgive you. Because I know I would sacrifice myself to protect you too. Without hesitation. That’s how much I love you._ ”

The place erupted in heat and fire. A blast hit the two men and they evaporated into thin air. Riza didn’t think too much about what had just happened to their bodies, because she would vomit. Metal screamed around her in the heat, bending and melting, the molten metal hitting the floor like water. Pipes burst, firing gas into the air and creating explosions above her head. The lift shaft buckled and snapped, the lift itself falling and crashing to the ground, sending metal and glass flying everywhere.

Riza felt her vision greying. She’d never used this much before. She was at her limit, ready to pass out.

 _Just like Roy had done when you left him_.

In a way, she felt she deserved this fate. She’d abandoned her husband and sided with the enemy. To protect Roy, yes, but she’d still developed and created guns and weapons that were used to kill people. She’d killed ten people in front of her son and then subjected him to this world instead of letting him remain with his father where he would be safe and loved. It had been a panicked decision, but she should have fought to keep Maes out of it. In hindsight, given his character, Riza didn’t think Gluttony would have allowed it anyway.

Regardless, she should have been better for both of them.

Her body hit the ground painfully, the warmth from her flames dissipating. In its place there was the searing heat from her destruction, the smell of gas, burning, and melting metal.

Yes, she should have been better.

Her tears continued to fall but they evaporated in the heat.

 _Should have been better_ …

* * *

Roy walked down the hallway towards the exit of Gluttony’s facility. His footsteps were heavy on the linoleum floor. His whole body ached and was exhausted. He was emotionally spent after the hellish last few days. He was still reeling, trying to comprehend everything.

Riza… She’d walked away once more… to protect them both.

“ _I love you._ Both _of you_.”

Roy sniffed, wiping away a tear with the back of his hand.

“Dad?” Maes asked quietly, peering up at his father worriedly.

“I’m all right,” Roy replied, voice barely above a whisper. He placed a hand on Maes’ head, rubbing it and pulling him against his side, giving his shoulders a quick squeeze as they walked. Maes leaned heavily against him, a hand lifting to clutch his jacket tightly. “You’ve gotten so tall,” he added, a sob interrupting his laugh. “I can’t believe it.”

Maes peered up at him, eyes shining but wearing a small smile on his face. “I’m catching up to you,” he replied with a sad but cheeky grin.

Roy stumble to a stop.

“ _I’m catching up to you, Daddy!_ ” seven-year-old Maes declared loudly, giggling happily as his father lifted him in the air and swung him around.

“Dad?!” Maes called to him, but Roy didn’t hear him. He was lost in the memory. Maes’ laugh, _Riza’s_ laugh, how effortless it felt to love and give joy to his son…

Roy crumpled to the floor, overwhelmed by his grief.

“Dad!”

She was gone.

He wrapped his arms around Maes’ shoulders, crushing his son against him. Roy sobbed into his shoulder, pressing his face against his navy jumper. His tears wet the fabric while his hands clutched it desperately, needing something to cling to as his grief overtook his entire being.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered repeatedly.

“Dad, you’re scaring me,” Maes replied, voice wavering.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough,” he finally admitted out loud. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you from all of this.”

“Dad…”

“I couldn’t save her,” Roy bawled. His hands slipped from Maes arm’s. They fell to hit the floor, hands splaying against the linoleum. His back arched as he heaved a breath, tears splattering against the off-white tile. “I couldn’t help your mother. I’m sorry.

“Please… Please forgive me.”

It wasn’t fair to unload all of this on Maes. He was too young to understand. He’d just lost his mother. Roy had just lost his wife… They needed time to… Time…

They needed more time.

Oh, how Roy had wished for that so often over the last three years.

Maes’ hands rested on Roy’s shoulders. Again, the father felt guilty for not being strong enough for his son. Hands gripped his upper arms, guiding him upwards. He looked miserably into his son’s eyes, seeing the same emotion reflected back at him.

“I’m sorry too, Dad,” Maes whispered. “Mum –” his voice broke and Roy brought up a hand to grip his shoulders in support. “Mum always told me how sorry she was about what she did. She used to cry at night. I heard her,” he sniffed. “While I was pretending to sleep. She missed you so much,” he whispered. “She felt so guilty… But she said she did it to protect you. She thought about you every day. I know she did.”

“What?” Roy asked in disbelief. In the back of his mind he thought it was incredibly odd that his son was telling him like this. It should be the other way around, a father comforting his son.

“Roy,” a hoarse voice called from down the hallway. “Maes.”

They both froze. In sync, their heads snapped up to look at the doorway where they’d walked through just moments ago before he’d broken down.

Riza walked through the door, skin covered in soot, but _alive_. She was propped up by Havoc as she walked, a hand clutching her side.

“Mum…” Maes breathed.

Roy’s hand dropped from Maes’ shoulders, hitting the floor as he stared.

He couldn’t move.

“Mum!” Maes cried, running to her.

Roy staggered to his feet. But how… She’d been burned in the fire. The explosion should have… killed her.

Riza removed her arm from around Havoc’s shoulder. She tipped as she lost her balance, but Havoc righted her. Riza clutched Maes to her body tightly as he threw his arms around her midsection.

“You’re okay!” Maes cried into her stomach, her voice thick with emotion. His sobs were loud as they echoed down the hallway.

“I’m all right Maes,” she soothed, her own voice cracking. As she stroked their son’s hair in comfort, Riza lifted her eyes and met Roy’s.

“Roy?” she whispered, almost fearful of his reaction. Now they were out of the fight and in a moment of peace, she realised they hadn’t seen each other in three years, so it was understandable she would be uncertain how to act.

_Three years ago, she’d left you to die._

_Three years ago, she took your son away from you –_

Roy shook those thoughts from his head, stumbling towards his small family.

Three years he’d longed to see her face again, to speak with her. For three years he’d wallowed in his own pity and grief after he felt like he’d messed everything up. And now he was unable to speak.

He’d beaten himself up over what had happened. Left conflicted, Roy was still unsure where this left them, but all that mattered to him right now was that she was _alive_.

When Roy thought Riza was dead it didn’t matter about those thoughts that had ran through his head a moment ago. It didn’t matter what had happened three years ago because she’d come back to him. On that catwalk she’d left them both, but it was in order to sacrifice herself to keep them safe.

_Because I know I would sacrifice myself to protect you too. Without hesitation. That’s how much I love you._

She still loved him, cared for him. That was evident just in her eyes as she declared her love for him in their last moments.

When Roy reached them, he cupped her face gently in his hands and kissed her. Riza whimpered against his lips, her tears beginning to wet his fingers. After breaking apart for breath he kissed her again chastely before wrapping his arms tightly around her. Riza clutched at his back, holding him tight as she began to sob. The three of them all cried together, finally reunited.

* * *

“I’m sorry,” Riza whispered into the dark room. Roy had been dozing – she’d been able to tell by the rate of his breathing – but she couldn’t keep it in any longer. She needed to tell him. He said it didn’t matter, but it did. It really _did_ matter.

She’d abandoned him when he needed her. It was to protect him, it always had been, but she’d still left him in front of their home, unconscious and bleeding. For three years she’d been uncertain if he was alive or not.

“Riza?” he murmured. His voice was thick with sleep. “What time is it?”

“I’m so sorry,” she repeated, ignoring his question. She swung her legs out of her bed – a single on the opposite side of the infirmary as him. That stunt with her alchemy had left her drained so she was under watch until she regained her strength back. “For everything I did and for leaving you back there –”

“Riza –”

“I abandoned you,” she whispered. “I didn’t want to. I had no other choice. I couldn’t let them get their hands on you and weaponize you.”

“ _Riza_ –”

“I couldn’t let them use Maes and I against you. And don’t say it doesn’t matter anymore, because it _does_.”

“Listen to me,” he urged, exiting his own bed and striding over. Maes was asleep on his own bed in the corner, wiped out after his emotionally trying day. He knelt in front of her, clutching her hands in his, eyes earnest as he tried to convey how sincere his words were. “I understood that. I knew you were a hostage, but I kept think about your words.”

“I didn’t mean it,” she cried desperately. “Truly, I didn’t! You are everything to me, Maes too, you always have been,” she sobbed.

Roy hushed her gently, offering a reassuring smile. “It’s okay, I know that now.”

Riza sighed in frustration, bowing her head. “I just… I panicked,” she whispered. “I needed to get the attention off you.” When she lifted her head, her eyes were wet. “I never wanted to hurt you.”

Roy straightened where he kneeled, wrapping his arms around her body. “Riza, I love you. I always have and always will. At first, I was confused, angry, bitter. I didn’t know what to believe.” She stiffened under his arms. “But another set of your words echoed in my ear and continued to do so as I searched for you. These kept me sane and gave me hope.”

“What words?” she asked, confused.

““ _I know I would sacrifice myself to protect you too. Without hesitation. That’s how much I love you._ ” Those words. I kept thinking about what you said that night after Grumman recruited me to find you. It was hard – on some days it felt impossible – but I never lost hope and I never gave up.”

Riza sobbed loudly – loud enough to wake Maes – and buried her head in her hands, shoulders shaking as she cried. Roy bundled her up and held her tightly.

How he’d missed doing this. He’d missed his son and his wife so much and now they were _back_. They were alive and they were safe. That was all that mattered to him.

“I forgive you, Riza. I forgive you for everything. You did it for a reason and to protect me. I appreciate that very much because I know I wouldn’t have been strong enough to withstand the threat of Gluttony using your lives against me so I would do their bidding. I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself after the destruction I would have no doubt caused.

“So, thank you.”

There was a hand on Roy’s shoulder, and he twisted his head to see Maes standing beside him, his eyes wet too.

“Come here, Maes,” Roy ushered, opening an arm so he could join in on their circle. Without hesitation he threw his arms around his mother and father, hands fisting in their clothing as he tried to hold them as tightly as possible.

It had been trying, it had been hell, it had been a rollercoaster of emotion, but they were finally back together again. Their family had been revived from the ashes that Gluttony had left it in three years ago, and Roy was completely happy with it, even after everything he went through.

They were finally all together.


End file.
